The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-10
THE NEED OF COOPERATION
The Evangelical Alliance Continues Its
Discussion of Social Problems.
Bishop Harris Urges Unity, and Declares that
the Existing Division Is Scandal
Views of DR.. Washington GLADDEN..


morning President Dodge announced that ILL
ness had prevented Rev. DR.. Storrs, of Brook
Ign, from being present, and that his paper on
''The Necessity OF Cooperation in Christian
Work" would be read by Rev. DIR. Chamberlain,
of Brooklyn, whom he introduced. DIR. Storrs,
in his paper, alludes to the perils arising from
the misuse of wealth, illiteracy, and the es-
arrangement of many from the church. He did
not think there any for thinking
that Christianity had not divine and divinely
directed resources adequate for the emergency.
The great thing needed is to gather up and con-
centrate our power.
Bishop Samuel Harris. of Michigan, said he
believed that this conference is the practical re-
Spouse of Christian wisdom to the call OF gen.
orally recognized need. Vast and hostile forces
are being marshaled and firmly knit to attack
all that we hold most dear. 1t would be mad
ness, said the speaker. to remain divided in this
hour of danger. We must substitute co-opera-
ton for competition, economists teach the
producer to do. Christ was the great statesman
who gave US the only policy which civilization
be at once free and SAFE His leadership
has always succeeded. Our fathers builded
wiser than they knew in founding upon the Rock
| of Ages. We must be equally opposed to i'm
perialism and socialism. This is fit task for
Anglo-Saxons. and this is to be an Anglo-Saxon
civilization. outstanding our enormous
accretions from other Duty. not glory,
is the watchwori Of our patriotism. The Bible,
the Sabbath and liberty of conscience must be
defended with Christ our leader indeed,
but with own active cooperation
of other nations whose early history has been
| fair and promising. We would be towards and
traitors if we did not recognize and fight the
old but now freshly awakened forces OF pubic
and social disorder. The kind of cooperation
| we advocate is not political. Church and state
must be separate. Christ said, "My kingdom is
| not of this world, but His church can be the
| channel through which He can work to supply
health and vigor to nation. Our common
Anglo Saxon Christianity, and we must stand
| for it against the very strong and dangerous at
| tack of ultramontanism which has taken ad-
vantage of divisions to Danish the Bible
| from it, and then, with savage Inconsistency,
| attacks it as goddess. We have often handed it
! over to the tender mercies of supervisors who
are but the tools of ultramontansm. But we
must go deeper. we must seek not only TO
| keep this that external institution-we
must strike at the root OF sin in , the
| er1v and of everything good Cooperation in
| promoting vital, intense personal piety is the
| one great need. We must take higher ground
| than we did fourteen years ago at the New York
meeting of this alliance, when the divisions OF
| Protestant christendom were apologized for.
| Thank Godi we growing wiser. We are
| seeing that our divisions are weakness and
| scandal. Hence hailed the call for this meet
| ing to consult how substitute co-opera-
tiou for the competition which has SO wasted our
| resources. especially in home missionary fields
| in the West where, in small towns, several
| churches by their competition, afford a spec
| tacle to make devils laugh and angels weep; and
in cities the need of union is equally great But
further co operation is needful, IL the church Is
| to be a shield, the mediator between rich and
| poor, and prevent the despotism and the waste
| of socialism. 1t is the foe not alone of wealth,
| but also of liberty, of hope, and of everything
| just. By reason of divisions Protestant
| tied" masses. Our divisions have impoverished
our love for man, ultramoutanism often fails
to minister to the wants it creates and fosters,
and leaves to US Protestsnts to feed and clothe.
| She makes a magnificent and imposing show of
caring for the poor, but it is hollow and unreal.
| We have been mserably and selfishly divided.
| and hence weakness Our magnificent
| heritage is ir danger. Tho cry OF the poor in
| the cities is going up to a Father in heaven
whom we have not effectively led them to know,
| because have not worked together as one
| body of which Christ is the head. [Great ap-
| plause
| Ae the conclusion of the address President
| Dodge said that in coming to the church he had
overheard an old lady tell another. that the
| people focking here were going to an 'ansel-
| icaln alliance shall we not make it SO in
| TRUTH" he asked.
| Rev. DR. Washington GLADDEN.. of Columbus,
| o.. was introduced. and continued the subject.
| He said there must be diversity of operation in
| grace. as in nature. But diversity is one thing.
| and divisions are quite another. They display,
not the manifold wisdom of God but the per-
| versity of man. Organic formal consolidation
| is not practical Liturgical uniformity has done
about all it at present 81 don't hope much
| from sentimental unity. Union meetings in
which tell ore another before the public
how much we love each other are all right il it
is true" said the speaker, but if not 1t is can't
Profession should halt till practice catches
| But operation is possible among those who
| differ about many things merely external We
| have made progress in this matter. Members
| and ministers pass and repass freely from
| church to church. We unite in evangelistic
| labor, which is good if we don't break the al
| lDfQ nf ind ul6 m ri
| We can't warm city by big bonfires in the pub
| lie squares. man converted in church will.
| on the average do as much as three
| converted in a rink. A thing much less dem on
| strative is better. The best parts of towns and
| cities have twice many churches
| needed; in the poorer, far too few So Of the
| competition between many sects in new towns.
| We must frankly admit the essential equality OF
| all Christian churches. There is no sect which
| readily admits this equality. We must drop
| this competition of the Kilkenny fair sort. We
must recognize the peril to industries to
| the government. If the present widespread dis
| content develops into anarchism. we must throt-
| tie that by law, but we must prevention to
| keep it from coming to that. The unreasonable
demands of the workinsman must, as far as
| possible, be modified by reason and love, ana
| this only the church can do successfully. The
| churches must repent of their abandonment OF
the poor districts, and then go ana DO works
| meet for repentance They should COLOMBO
| with some of their best families and not merely
build missions. 1t is work that can't be done by
| hired men, missionaries or theological students
| Your money is needed, but you are needed still
| more"
| Rev. George E. Post, NJ. D., of the medical
| mission, Beirut, Syria, said: ''The past taught
| what to believe about God; the future must
| show what we to do for mon. The past has
been marked by strife; the future must see
| operation" He closed with fervent plea for
| unity in America, for the sake of missions
| abroad.
The venerable Philip Schaf, D. D., was next
| introduced as one who the father of the al
lance and of the most active workers for It's
ends. He thought this conference. held in this
| cosmopolitan city, Of equal or greater i'm
| portance than that held fourteen years ago In
| provincial town on the banks Of the hudson, New
York. We can't think bad enough of the devil or
| good enough Of God. Christ is in His church all
| days, even to the end of the world. II this
| securities suffices. we go forward. A good
stomach is needed for the physical, clear brain
| for the intellectual, and a warm heart for the
irifr a. hac nhaaa Ia